Trials of Time
by tokiwashojo
Summary: Sakuragi and Rukawa find both of them are soul mates and that their love has been fated since the beginning of time. Pls r
1. Phase 1: Default Chapter

Disclaimers: This one goes to Takehito Inoue san, because he owns Salm Dunk  
  
(The storyline may sound familiar if you have read Yukijirou's fic. It has almost the same storyline except I used different timelines from what Yukijirou used. And there's something else different...) *Grins mysteriously* (Actually I got the idea for the "something else different" from one of Zeynel's fics. Well, go figure.)  
  
Pairings: Mainly RuHana and HanRu; but multiple in some parts  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The warm night breeze ruffled the ebony black hair of the boy who moved with cat-like grace through the common grounds in the imperial capital of the Han Dynasty.  
  
He weaved in and out of the crowd excitedly as he ran towards his destination. With the way he was running, it was obvious that his destination was far from the bustling city.  
  
Finally, after a whole half hour of running, he stopped.  
  
The place where he stopped was the park right beside the river. Hardly anyone goes to this park, especially this late at night. The black- haired boy breathed in and out deeply as he tried to catch his breath. He was tired, but his eyes weren't. His sapphire -blue eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for a familiar figure.  
  
When his breathing finally evened out, his eyes caught sight of a small pagoda beside a majestic peach/cherry blossom tree (sakura tree) whose flowers were now in full bloom.  
  
He jogged up to the small pagoda and sighed as he saw his girlfriend sleepimg soundly inside. 'She's been waiting for a long time now. She's always on time while I'm always late, I guess I have to make it up to her.'  
  
He entered the pagoda and sat down beside his girlfriend. He looked at her lovingly for a while before gently caressing her cheek.  
  
The slight touch was enough to wake the girl up. Her beautiful eyes fluttered open at the soft touch. And at the sight of the raven-haired young man, her brown eyes widened and she hurriedly said, "I'm sorry my prince! I didn't know you were already there, I..."  
  
The prince interrupted, "How many times have I told you not to address me formally Hana-kun?" He smiled at his girlfriend and gently cleared the red bangs which were covering her face. "You should cut your bangs, they're too short for the braid but they're too long that it's hard for me to see your beautiful eyes clearly."  
  
Hanamichi smiled and giggled slightly at the comment from her lover. "You really think so Kaede-kun?" she asked, as she caressed her soft red tresses which she kept in a neat braid.  
  
He nodded. "How are you Hana?" asked Kaede. "I haven't seen you for a few months now."  
  
The redhead looked at her boyfriend and replied, "I'm supposed to be the person asking you that Kaede. You do know that if your father, the emperor of this dynasty, finds out that the two of us are together, you might get arrested, right?"  
  
"Are you suggesting that we break up?"  
  
The redhead nodded her head and continued, "It will be for the best, Kae-chan. Your father is very concerned of the dynasty's future while my people will do anything to conquer your land, so this break-up is the best choice for the both of us."  
  
Kaede shook his head and his hair, which was kept in a neat ponytail, swayed behind him. "No, that is not for the best Hanamichi." He held onto the redhead's hand and looked lovingly into her deep chestnut eyes, "I will not leave you, never. Even if my life were endangered, I would never leave you. Wo ai ni, pu kuan she me tsing sing, wo pu iyao li khai ni te shen pien. (I love you, no matter what happens, I will never leave your side.)  
  
Hanamichi smiled and squeezed Kaede's hand, "The same goes for me." The two lovers looked at each other and they closed in for a kiss.  
  
Tbc  
  
Author's note: This is such a short chapter, I don't know what came to me when I was writing this one. Maybe it's cause of the exams.  
  
I want to write longer ones next time.  
  
Yukijorou, really sorry if this fic is so much like yours. It's because I became so fascinated by your idea that I could not stop myself from making one like that. Gomen, honto ni.  
  
And I'm not really into phonetics and stuff so I'm not so sure if those are the phonetic equivalents. 


	2. Phase 1:The Arrangement

Title:Trials of Time  
  
Part: 2/?  
  
Author: Nanako  
  
Genre:Romance, au  
  
Pairing:RuHana  
  
Rating:PG  
  
Archive: 1. it's ok for me if you archive this fic to sdfic ML  
  
2. This fic is not posted in any other archive  
  
E-mail:ishpoof@i-manila.com.ph  
  
Warning: the characters are extremely ooc  
  
Author's notes: i have only a few weeks experience as a fanfic writer.  
  
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk is Takehito Inoue's and will never be mine (sob)  
  
  
  
The next morning, Prince Kaede was late for breakfast again. But because he was always late, the empress didn't scold him anymore. She knew that her son was a man of high pride so it was useless to scold him because he would never accept his own faults.  
  
"Good morning!"  
  
Prince Kaede groaned. Here was his overly annoying elder sister again. He sat down on his place in the breakfast table and cast his sister a glance. "Good morning," he mumbled almost inaudibly.  
  
His sister did not understand the annoyance his greeting contained and continued to smile goofily.  
  
Kaede sighed and thought, 'Maybe that's what you get, naming a girl Akira.' He sighed and looked at his sister, who at that moment stopped eating to fix her long black hair which she preferred to keep loose, completely oblivious to the annoyed stares her brothers threw at her.  
  
Akira was the eldest in the royal family and was the only girl among the five royal siblings. She has long black hair, which has the same midnight color as to that of her youngest brother, Kaede. She was very cheerful and would always smile, even if she is amidst adversities. This is an attitude their people admired in her, but it is this attitude which always annoys her brothers especially Kaede.  
  
Next to Akira was the crown prince, Kiminobu. Loved by everyone who knows him, Kiminobu is a picture of perfection, in all aspects. He had long brown hair which he always keeps in a bun and soft, brown eyes. He was very kind, understanding and perceptive, like his mother and has wisdom far beyond his age. He sometimes serves as the advisor of his father aside from the prime minister, because he has been exposed to several imperial matters since he was the first born boy. He would always serve as the peacemaker between his always quarreling siblings aside from his mother.  
  
The second prince was Hisashi. Compared to his brothers who were all slim, this prince had a rather masculine physique. He was not as perfect as his big brother but he easily makes this up by being the most helpful of the siblings. He seems to be bossy outside at first but once you get to know him, he is a very nice person inside.  
  
Probabaly the cutest of the four princes was Prince Ryota. He is shorter than his brothers but isn't behind at anything. Among the siblings, he is the quickest learner and is the best in craftsmanship. There was only one trouble though, he never got over his Oedepus (not so sure of the spelling, correct me if I'm wrong) complex. And he usually spends the day running after his mother. (You might guess who the mother is *grin*)  
  
The last but not the least, was the youngest prince, Kaede. Probably the tallest after Akira, Kaede has beauty and grace which could evenly match that of his sister's. Practically, the differences between the two are their height, eyes, attitude and gender. They are very much alike in skill and competency. But Prince Kaede is not like his siblings. He is neither as obedient as they are nor does he care about intellectual improvement. All he cares about is his improvement in sword-handling and the arts (especially painting), which are his two favorite things in the world.  
  
The empress, Empress Ayako put her chopstix down and prepared to announce something. At this, Prince Ryota looked up at her and his eyes turned to little hearts, "Aya-chan."  
  
Hisashi threw his younger brother a glance and groaned when he saw the all too familiar look on Ryota's face. Prince Kiminobu put his hand on Prince Hisashi's shoulders and shook his head, "You should understand Ryota's case Hisashi."  
  
Prince Hisashi sighed and nodded. His big brother smiled, turned towards his mother and asked, "Mu hou (mother empress*literally*/queen mother), what is it you want to say?"  
  
Empress Ayako smiled at her children and said, "Your father, the emperor wishes to announce something."  
  
The emperor said, "Today is a day of great celebration."  
  
Prince Kaede, like his siblings, was looking at the emperor as he was speaking. But the difference was, everyone was hanging onto every word he spoke, while Prince Kaede's mind was on some other things. He was actually thinking of what to give his redheaded girlfriend for their anniversary.  
  
The emperor continued, "As you all know, the Akagis are very close to our family and they have been a great help in making the middle kingdom a very safe place. That is why, Prime Minister Takenori and myself have made an agreement, more so, a marriage agreement."  
  
Everyone was on the edge of their seats, wishing that it would be their name spoken by their father, except for Prince Kaede who, as I have said earlier, is only physically present.  
  
"The Akagis and I made a marriage contract promising the hands of their beloved little girl, Haruko and our little prince Kaede in marriage."  
  
Prince Kaede's thoughts were snapped back into reality when he heard his name. Did he hear correctly? Was that true? Was he promised to wed the sister of their prime minister? 'Oh no...Hanamichi...' he thought.  
  
Prince Kaede's fist balled up underneath the table. His face was totally composed but inside, he was seething with fury. 'How could he do this to me?!' he thought angrily. 'Why does my father meddle in my personal life this way?!'  
  
No one noticed that the cool look Kaede had on his face was simply a façade, no one except the empress and the crown prince. Everyone thought that everything was ok so they congratulated him.  
  
Empress Ayako worriedly looked at her youngest son and easily met the gaze of Prince Kiminobu. She nodded and her son decided to take action.  
  
Prince Kiminobu turned to his father and said simply, "Father, if I may interrupt, I believe that it is almost time for our lessons and if we don't hurry we might get late?"  
  
The emperor looked at the crown prince and nodded.  
  
So everyone ate quickly and left the dining room for the training grounds.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Calm down Kaede!" Prince Hisashi exclaimed as he jumped away from the furious blade of the youngest prince.  
  
Prince Ryota stepped between the two and yelled at Prince Kaede, "What is wrong with you Kaede?! Do you plan on killing our big brother?"  
  
Prince Kiminobu was about to go and intervene when Princess Akira put her hand on his shoulder and said, "Let me handle this Kiminobu." He nodded so she stepped forward as Prince Hisashi and Prince Ryota edged away from their younger brother.  
  
Akira, like Kiminobu, realized that something was wrong with their baby brother the moment he unsheathed his sword o spar with Hisashi. But they thought it would only pass. Now measures had to be taken or else Kaede might be able to hurt one of them. "Kae-chan," she said sweetly as she unsheathed her sword.  
  
Prince Kaede's eyes widened in surprise. "What is it big sister?"  
  
"Why don't we spar? I want to know how good you are."  
  
"But sis..."  
  
"Are you scared of me little brother?"  
  
That struck a nerve. Even if he found her annoying, Prince Kaede knew that Akira was best swordsman in the dynasty; with grace, finesse and skill which could never be rivaled by any swordsmen, so there was a minimal chance that he could win. But he could not forgive anyone who insults his pride, no one, not even his sister.  
  
Burning sapphire blue eyes burned against cool blue and Akira thought sadly, 'Sorry Kae-chan but I need to do this to make sure that you do not "accidentally" hurt one of our siblings, even if it means one fatal blow to your pride.'  
  
  
  
tbc 


	3. Phase 1:The Meeting

Title:Trials of Time  
  
Part: 3/?  
  
Author: Nanako  
  
Genre:Romance, au  
  
Pairing:RuHana, KoshSen, MakiJin, HanaFuji (Hanagata)  
  
Rating:PG  
  
Archive: 1. it's ok for me if you archive this fic to sdfic ML  
  
2. This fic is not posted in any other archive  
  
E-mail:ishpoof@i-manila.com.ph  
  
Warning: the characters are extremely ooc, bad choice of words, cursing  
  
Author's notes: Haruko bashing ^^. I couldn't find anyone else who would do anything to get Kaede's love.gomen. Oh and this chapter is longer than my usual.  
  
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk is Takehito Inoue's and will never be mine (sob)  
  
  
  
  
  
CHAPTER 3  
  
  
  
Prince Kaede charged at Princess Akira, but the princess being the one with more experience was able to evade all of the younger prince's attacks.  
  
And when she finally got fed up with her brother's attitude, Akira ended the spar with her blade a mere centimeter away from Kaede's throat.  
  
"I win"  
  
Prince Kaede sheathed his sword, said nothing, and angrily walked away from the training grounds.  
  
"Fiery temper," Prince Hisashi muttered and Prince Ryota nodded his head in agreement.  
  
The crown prince, though, thought otherwise. He knew that Kaede was a very cheerful and friendly person, but there was something he was hiding right now, something which seems to be the reason for his agitation. So Prince Kiminobu decided to go talk to him.  
  
But, as he was taking his first step, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back at his elder sister and gave her a questioning look.  
  
The princess shook her head and said, "Leave him be Kiminobu. He will come to his senses once his head clears and will accept our father's decision. I know that Kaede is not a person who allows his emotions to interfere with his decisions."  
  
Kiminobu could do nothing but agree with his sister. Akira was right. Any further intervention would only confuse Kaede even more. But still, Kiminobu was worried for his younger brother's sake.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Damn them!" Prince Kaede cursed as he entered his bedchamber. He put his bearings down and lied down on his bed.  
  
He stared at the ceiling and thought of the earlier happenings that day. "Why did father arrange a marriage contract between me and that Haruko?" he wondered out loud. He sat up on his bed and gave an exasperated sigh. He turned his head sideways and picked up the sakura branch on his bedside table. He stared at it and thought of his lively redheaded girlfriend. "I wonder what Hana would do in a similar situation?" He smiled and began thinking about that day when he first met the love of his life.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It was a bright, sunny day and the five royal siblings were as lively as ever, for the imperial army had just won against the Northern invaders and had recovered another city which the pas dynasties had lost before.  
  
The five of them went to their parent's chambers.  
  
"Why have you come here?" the empress asked, tone scolding. "All five of you know how busy your father is."  
  
Prince Kiminobu stepped forward, a few steps away from his quite boisterous and excited siblings. "Mother we would like to ask permission to go on a hunting trip."  
  
"Hunting trip Kiminobu?"  
  
"Yes mother."  
  
Empress Ayako turned to her husband, sighed and asked, "What do you think my lord?"  
  
The emperor looked up from his load of paperwork, looked down at his children, gave them a warm smile and asked the crown prince, "Why did you think of going on a hunting trip Kiminobu?"  
  
Prince Kiminobu clasped both hands before his face and smiled as he bowed his head, "The five of us agreed to go on a hunting trip to celebrate our victory against the Northern invaders."  
  
"And how long would this trip last?"  
  
"At least 2 months and at most six months."  
  
"Alright then. All five of you have my permission to go. You have freedom to take as many troops, slaves, horses and supplies with you. So you could practically take anyone with you in this trip."  
  
"Thank you father."  
  
"Remember Akira, Kiminobu, that both of you are responsible for your brothers and of yourselves, okay? All five of you are very important to this dynasty."  
  
"Yes father."  
  
"Good. You may all go now."  
  
The five siblings left their parents' chambers quietly, but once outside, they once again began on their loud chatter.  
  
"He allowed us! He actually allowed us!" Prince Ryota exclaimed happily.  
  
"Of course," said Prince Kaede. "As long as it's Kiminobu who sweet talks father, he will allow us to do almost anything." He put an arm around his elder (and quite shorter) brother and smiled at him, "Right Kiminobu?"  
  
Prince Kiminobu returned Kaede's smile and replied, "It was not because I sweet talked to him or anything. He was just so happy that we won the war against the invaders."  
  
"You are always so humble beyond your years Kiminobu," Princess Akira said, walking ahead of her brothers and tossing her hair as she turned around to talk to them. "You are the most intelligent and capable among us yet you never take anything to credit yourself."  
  
"Akira's right," Hisashi agreed. "Big brother, you are always so humble!"  
  
"I am?" Kiminobu asked, big, brown and innocent eyes blinking back at his siblings.  
  
"You're a hopeless case big brother," said Ryota.  
  
"Hey guys," Princess Akira said, changing the subject since she knew that they were going to get nowhere trying to convince Kiminobu that he was too humble. "Who are we taking along with us besides the slaves and troops?"  
  
Prince Kaede removed his arm around Kiminobu's shoulder. "We could bring the generals with us," he said thoughtfully after thinking awhile.  
  
"General Toru or General Shinichi?" Prince Hisashi asked.  
  
"Both of them," replied Kaede. "Both the generals and their wives, Lady Kenji and Lady Souichirou."  
  
"Sounds okay," agreed Prince Kiminobu. "The generals and their wives are very close to us after all."  
  
"Let's go invite them then!" Princess Akira exclaimed as she pulled her brothers along with her through the palace grounds to the private quarters of General Toru.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Lady Kenji was walking in their little garden when she spotted the five royal siblings, excitedly running towards their private chambers.  
  
Although they were sometimes very irritating with their loud chatter and  
  
annoying little jokes, Lady Kenji and her husband had grow quite fond of them all, after all they had been there ever since the five were just little bouncing balls of energy.  
  
Smiling, Lady Kenji daintily ran to greet them. "Highnesses," she said as she curtsied before them. "What brings you here to our humble abode?"  
  
"Oh do stand up Lady Kenji," said Akira as she waved a dismissive hand. "We are not strangers you know."  
  
Lady Kenji straightened herself and her long brown locks swayed as she did so.  
  
"We have come to seek an audience with General Toru, Lady Kenji," Prince Kiminobu explained as they made their way through the garden and into the general's private chambers.  
  
"General Shinichi is with my husband right now," Lady Kenji explained. "If you want to have a private audience, I could..."  
  
"General Shinichi is here?" Prince Kaede interrupted, with a big smile on his face. "Great!"  
  
"So you would like an audience with both generals?"  
  
"Yes," replied Princess Akira. "Both generals. Lady Kenji, is Lady Souichirou with her husband?"  
  
Lady Kenji looked at the princess and raised a brow as she replied, "Yes she is Princess Akira."  
  
The princess smiled at her and said, "Don't worry nothing is wrong Lady Kenji. I know your questioning look every time I see it."  
  
Lady Kenji returned the princess's smile and said, "I know Princess Akira, I know." She stopped before a door and announced, "We are here majesties." She slowly opened the door and inside were the two generals and Lady Souichirou, all three were drinking tea and laughing over some joke which General Shinichi absent mindedly said.  
  
But when the five royal siblings entered the room, all three hushed and while the two generals bowed, Lady Souichirou curtsied.  
  
"Stand up guys, I mean we are all friends here aren't we?" said Prince Hisashi, quite exasperated. "You do not need to be so formal around friends right? Unless we are in the Imperial Court or with an audience with our parents."  
  
The three did as they were told and everyone sat down around the table, with both Ladies sitting at the right side of their husbands.  
  
"What has brought you here Majesties?" Gen. Toru asked the five once everyone was settled down.  
  
Akira sighed, "Why are you always so straight to the point Gen. Toru? We haven't seen each other ever since you and Gen. Shinichi have been promoted to General and all you ask is what we're doing here?"  
  
Gen. Shinichi smiled at the princess and said, "Gen. Toru is a very straightforward man Princess, I hope you understand his situation. And ever since we got back from the war, he became even more straightforward."  
  
"As Akira had said," said Prince Ryota, "it has been a long time since we've seen each other."  
  
"I agree," said Lady Souichorou. "The last time we saw each other was 2 years ago when the war started and the last time we ever had a heart to heart talk was so long ago that I have already lost track of it."  
  
Lady Kenji smiled warmly at the five and said, "But I must say Majesties, you have all grown up so quickly! The last time we talked, Prince Kaede was almost half my size and now he is even taller than Lady Souichirou and myself!"  
  
"I am flattered Lady Kenji," said Prince Kaede. He smiled at her and Lady Souichirou and said, "And both Ladies of the house are certainly blossoming now more than ever."  
  
Lady Kenji and Lady Souichirou blushed at that comment and Gen. Toru said, with mock jealousy, "My prince! Please do not take our wives away." Then he doubled over in laughter.  
  
Everyone else in the room just sweatdropped. Because no one understood why the general was laughing so hard.  
  
"Anyway," said General Shinichi, trying to change the subject while Lady Kenji tried her best to silence her husband and stop making a fool out of himself. Gen. Shinichi looked at Kaede and said, "You are a man of flowery words my prince. I believe any woman you would court would obviously fall for you."  
  
"You are a good jester Gen. Shinichi."  
  
"But it is no jest my prince."  
  
"It's true Kaede," said Prince HIsashi. "Some of the girls in our father's harem could barely stop drooling over you even if our parents are around. And with your cheery attitude, I doubt you would not marry in a few months time."  
  
"Big brother, stop that!" Prince Kaede said as he pouted. "I don't want to be married yet, I am too young and I certainly have no desire to be caught up in the webs of marriage yet."  
  
"But being married is not that tough as long as you find the right girl," said Gen. Toru once he was done with laughing. He put an arm around Lady Kenji and said to Prince Kaede, "Look at me and Shinichi. We got married earlier than most soldiers but that was because we found our perfect match. Remember, that beauty is something which exists deep within a person's heart, never be fooled by external beauty."  
  
"I will keep that in mind Gen. Toru."  
  
"Hey hey," Prince Ryota interrupted. "We aren't here to talk about Kaede's love life."  
  
"Oh yeah," said Prince Kiminobu. He turned to the generals and their wives and said, "We have come here to invite you to go with us on our hunting trip."  
  
"A hunting trip?" Gen. Toru asked.  
  
"Yes," replied the crown prince. "We have already asked father's permission and he allowed us to leave anytime with whoever we want."  
  
"I see," said the other general. "Could our wives come with us?"  
  
"Of course. We would be very glad if all four of you would come with us."  
  
"Princess Akira," called Lady Souichirou.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I think we should also invite Lieutenant Hiroaki with us."  
  
"Lieutenant?!" Akira managed to croak out in a very unladylike manner.  
  
"Yes," Lady Souichirou replied, chuckling. "Captain Hiroaki just got promoted to Lietenant Princess."  
  
Prince Ryota grinned, "Yes, I think we should invite him with us."  
  
"Ryota...!"  
  
But before Akira could tell him to stop, Prince Ryota along with Prince Hisashi left the room to go find the newly promoted lieutenant.  
  
"Oh well," said the princess, sighing.  
  
"There is no need to be so private about your relationship with Hiroaki princess," said Gen. Shinichi. "Everyone in the kingdom knows that he loves you very much and that you have the same feelings for him."  
  
"But I ..." Akira began as an innocent blush became darker by the second.  
  
"You still haven't answered him yet haven't you," said Lady Kenji, tone almost scolding and Akira looked up at her questioningly. And she continued, "You hardly find a rarer match princess. Hiroaki is perfect for you, he's handsome, rich, capable, kind, every thing you would want in a husband is in him!"  
  
"I...I really don't know...," Akira finally stammered.  
  
"Well, Lady Kenji is right," said Kiminobu. "Hiroaki loves you very much and will do anything for you."  
  
"I know Kiminobu, I know," whispered the princess. "But I'm not ready yet, please, let me be until I find the chance to confront my own feelings ok?"  
  
Kiminobu nodded and everyone in the room dropped the subject, afraid to hurt the princess' feelings.  
  
"Who else will we be bringing along in this trip then?" Lady Souichirou asked as Prince Kaede wrapped an arm around his elder sister. Although he found her annoying, Kaede had always looked up to Akira. She was the only person he could find, aside from Kiminobu and their parents, who had the patience of a saint or a martyr, and that alone made him respect her that much. Of course he also admired her sword skills, but in his opinion, she was only better than he is because of experience and practice, nothing more, so he didn't exactly think of her ability as "skill" or the like.  
  
"I know!" Gen. Toru suddenly said. "Why don't we bring Haruko with us?"  
  
Upon the mention of the name, Kaede's comforting eyes turned to hate filled ones as he turned to the general. "Don't you dare invite that bitch to the hunting trip," he said, with deadly poison seething in his voice.  
  
Gen. Toru looked shocked at the prince's choice of words. "But Prince..."  
  
"Stop it Toru," said Lady Kenji as she shook her head. "Don't you know how tired our young prince is already with that Haruko? He wants peace and quiet yet all that girl ever gives him is a lot of noise and a lousy headache."  
  
Gen. Toru just gave his wife a questioning look.  
  
"Oh Toru," said Lady Kenji exasperated. "I'll explain things to you some other time." She turned to Prince Kaede and apologized for her husband, "My prince, please excuse my husband, he does not understand matters such as these."  
  
Prince Kaede waved a hand dismissively and said, "No offense was taken at all Lady Kenji. Hardly anyone notices how annoyed I am of that Haruko."  
  
"I understand my prince," said Lady Kenji as she nudged her husband disapprovingly then sat up straight on her chair once again.  
  
"Oh look at the time," said Kiminobu as he stood up. "I guess we must be going now. Gen. Toru, Gen. Shinichi, Lady Kenji and Lady Souichirou, thank you for the wonderful time. We will meet again tomorrow for the hunting trip to celebrate your victory against the Northern invaders."  
  
Prince Kaede and Princess Akira stood up as well and bade the four people goodbye.  
  
  
  
tbc 


	4. Phase 1: The Journey

Title:Trials of Time Part: 4/?  
  
Author: Nanako  
  
Genre:Romance, au  
  
Pairing:RuHana, KoshSen, MakiJin, HanaFuji (Hanagata)  
  
Rating:PG  
  
Archive: 1. it's ok for me if you archive this fic to sdfic ML  
  
2. This fic is not posted in any other archive  
  
E-mail:ishpoof@i-manila.com.ph  
  
Warning: the characters are extremely ooc, bad choice of words, cursing  
  
Author's notes: Haruko bashing ^^. I couldn't find anyone else who would do anything to get Kaede's love.gomen. Oh and this chapter is longer than my usual.  
  
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk is Takehito Inoue's and will never be mine (sob)  
  
CHAPTER 4  
  
After a whole day of preparation after the emperor's blessings, the five royal siblings and their companions, journeyed out of the capital and headed towards the forests near the edge of the border where they were to hunt.  
  
Gen. Shinichi and Gen. Toru, on their white steeds, led the hunting party. Before leaving the imperial capital, they were tasked by the emperor himself to safeguard all five of his children from the moment they step off the capital's soil till the time they returned home.  
  
The troops they had brought along with them formed a defensive formation around the five royalties.  
  
Princess Akira stayed directly behind the two generals, her long black hair- still kept loose-fell against the pure white of her stallion.  
  
Beside her, on a dotted stallion, but no less as majestic, was the ever- faithful Lt. Hiroaki. Ever since the journey began, he never, even once, failed to lose his concentration to make sure that the princess that he loved would be safe the whole time he was by her side.  
  
Behind them, rode the crown prince Kiminobu, Prince Hisashi, Prince Ryota and Prince Kaede. All four princes were on identical black stallions.  
  
Among the five, Prince Kaede was the only one who was fond with animals. And the reason why he actually agreed to come along was because he wanted to escape from the bustling and noisy imperial capital. It was never his intention to even hurt a small animal, much more, to hunt.  
  
Everyone in the hunting party had their steeds chosen for them. But the youngest prince chose his stallion for himself. While everyone else would choose a stallion for its beauty, grace and speed, Prince Kaede chose his just for the sole reason that it was his favorite stallion, for this stallion was taken care of by the prince ever since it was but a mere foal.  
  
He loved the birds he saw up in the sky, he loved the small animals which scurried in the imperial gardens, and of course the stallions, mares and foals which were kept in the stables. But there was one animal which he kept dear to his heart, an animal which he loved the most - the fox.  
  
When Prince Kaede was a mere five year old boy, Kiminobu, who was also a young boy at that time, found a lone black fox pup when he and his father traveled to another city. He had taken the black fox home and had given it to his baby brother as a present.  
  
It was love at first sight and the little Kaede was overjoyed at the little black fur ball Kiminobu had brought home for him. Ever since that day, the young prince took care of the fox - which he named Shadow - and the fox never left his side.  
  
So they practically grew up together and were very close, so close that Shadow, more often than not, protected Prince Kaede more diligently and profusely than any other person.  
  
Prince Kaede had grown so fond of Shadow that the fox was always with the prince, wherever he went.  
  
The whole trip to the forest took about 5 days of nonstop travel. Both Lady Kenji and Lady Souichirou insisted that they set camp each day as soon as night falls, since they feared the deterioration of the princess' and princes' health.  
  
But the five were so hardheaded to go on with the trip that the two Ladies had no other choice but to comply.  
  
That was why, within five days, they were able to reach their destination.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Gen. Shinichi sighed. He had just finished giving orders to his quite restless men and he had wished that the five royal siblings would just go to sleep.  
  
He entered his tent and Lady Souichirou greeted him with a smile which never ceases to warm his heart. "You deserve some rest Shinichi, it has been a tiring trip. But..."  
  
She approached him and held his hand in both of hers. "Come, their royal highnesses are waiting for us by the campfire."  
  
Gen. Shinichi sighed again, the only sign he showed of weariness, as he allowed himself to be led by his wife to the campfire outside, where the crown prince Kiminobu wished everyone to spend some time to chat and perhaps have a light snack with his friends and family.  
  
"Majesties," the couple greeted as the general bowed slightly and his wife curtsied, then they sat down beside Gen. Toru and Lady Kenji, just in front of the campfire. He looked around. Strange, only the crown prince, Prince Hisashi and Prince Ryota were there. Where were Princess Akira and Prince Kaede? Gen. Shinichi knew that the princess and the youngest prince loved these sorts of things the most out of the five, why then were they not here?  
  
He looked at his wife first then at his two close friends and colleagues, and on their faces, he saw eyes shrouded in worry, probably the same expression could be found on his face this exact moment too, he believed.  
  
Once they had settled down, Prince Kiminobu stood up, looked at the two generals and their wives, and said, "Dear generals and Ladies of my father's court, please forgive our insistence of not stopping in camps for the whole trip."  
  
Then he sat down. Gen. Toru, after noticing that Gen. Shinichi was too tired to counter what the prince had said, took the responsibility upon himself. He stood up and addressed the crown prince, "Prince Kiminobu, the pleasure is ours to accompany you and make sure that you and your siblings are safe during the whole trip."  
  
"But...," the prince started as his worried brown eyes glanced at the tired physique of Gen. Shinichi.  
  
"You're tired, because of us," Prince Kaede finished for his brother as he and Shadow approached the group. "Akira's exhausted and she told me to inform you guys that she won't be coming over. Lt. Hiroaki is watching over her and I doubt anything foul will befall her as long as he is by her side."  
  
He looked at the generals with warm blue eyes and said, "I know that the two of you are very tired. There is no reason not to voice it out to us. Remember, this is not our father's court, where you are obliged to keep quiet and await further commands. We aren't even in the capital, we are miles from it. All we ask from you is your loyalty to us and our dynasty, we aren't asking you to become robots or anything. Complain if there is something to complain about and scold us if we do something wrong. We do not bind you out here at all, rather, we give you full freedom to do what you think is right. Because you are our "guardians" in this trip, you have the power to rectify our wrongdoings."  
  
"Kaede..."  
  
Prince Kaede did not mind his brothers' confused gazes and Prince Kiminobu's awed one. He just looked at the shocked faces of the generals as ell s their wives, awaiting what they had to say.  
  
"I...I ...,"stammered Gen. Toru. He looked at the prince and Kaede nodded for him to continue. The nervous general sighed, shook his head and said, "You HAVE grown up my prince. For you to treat us as such is such a great honor."  
  
"We are friends Gen. Toru," said Prince Kaede simply, as if that explained everything.  
  
Prince Kiminobu looked up and smiled at his youngest brother. "You surprise me Kaede. For you to say words which even I have no courage to say is so...so...fantastic!"  
  
Prince Kaede returned his smile and said, "Courage is what it takes to be a good leader big brother, our father used to say that. And, on my opinion, I think you already possess enough of it to become the most worthy among us to become the heir to the throne." He then looked at the others and bowed, "Forgive me, but I will excuse myself from this gathering at this moment. For tomorrow I will leave the encampment at an early hour." And without another word, Prince Kaede left with Shadow.  
  
"I believe he plans to leave alone again tomorrow," said Prince Hisashi, shaking his head.  
  
"He won't be alone Hisashi,' corrected the crown prince.  
  
"Yeah," Prince Ryota agreed. "Shadow is enough of a bodyguard for Kaede."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Prince Kaede passed by Princess Akira's tent before he proceeded to his own. As he had expected, Lt. Hiroaki was standing guard outside her tent.  
  
"Majesty!" greeted the startled lieutenant as Prince Kaede and Shadow strode towards the tent.  
  
"Shhhh," said the price as held his right index finger to his lips and pointed towards his sister's tent. "You might disturb her."  
  
"I'm sorry majesty," apologized the lieutenant with his head bowed low.  
  
"Is she asleep already?"  
  
"Been asleep since you left earlier my prince."  
  
"Keep and eye on her lieutenant..."  
  
"Yes sir!"  
  
"...or she might slip from your grasp."  
  
The young lieutenant looked up and gave the prince an odd look.  
  
At this Prince Kaede chuckled, clearly amused. "Lt. Hiroaki, I wish you luck in winning my sister's heart."  
  
Lt. Hiroaki blushed furiously as he stammered a "thank you."  
  
"You're welcome lieutenant," replied a still chuckling Kaede as he walked away from his sister's tent. And since his tent was near his sister's, it didn't take long for him to reach it.  
  
But, before he was able to enter his tent, something caught his eye. He reached out and snatched it out of the air. And as he looked at it, his face registered a look of surprise. "A Sakura blossom?" he wondered out loud as he and Shadow made their way into his tent.  
  
"What is a Sakura blossom doing here in the middle of a forest?" he wondered as he sat down on the bed. Then, shaking these thoughts from his head, he placed the blossom carefully on the table beside his bed, as Shadow climbed on the bed after his master and curled up into a little fur ball to get some well deserved sleep.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Prince Kaede woke up to the tender sniffing of Shadow on his right palm. Smiling, he reached out and stroked Shadow's head. "On time as always, aren't you Shadow?" After saying such, the young prince sat up on his bed, stretched his limbs and proceeded to get ready.  
  
No one, except the troops assigned to guard the camp for the night and Lt. Hiroaki who was faithfully keeping guard over the princess, were awake yet. So Prince Kaede didn't even bother to disturb his siblings' or the servants' beauty sleeps.  
  
Since he almost never takes his breakfast back home in the capital, the young prince didn't bother to take one out here in the forest.  
  
He didn't wake a servant up to saddle his horse. He went into the stable and saddled his stallion himself.  
  
"Come Shadow," he whispered to his loyal companion as he kicked his stallion to change its pace from a slow trot to a fast run out of the stable.  
  
The agile black fox followed its master, running alongside the black horse Prince Kaede rode.  
  
After thirty minutes of wandering into the forest, and fifteen minutes after the sun rose from the east, Kaede and Shadow finally slowed down. Prince Kaede let the majestic stallion take a drink in a river they found deep into the forest.  
  
But unknown to the prince, 2 pairs of brown eyes were secretly watching him from a distance.  
  
A girl with long red locks kept in an untidy braid and dressed in soiled clothes climbed down from a tree. She reached towards her shoulder and scratched the chin of her pet monkey.  
  
"Come now Coco," she told the monkey, sighing as she did so. "He's not one of our people so we can't expect any help from him. We'll just have to wait until my uncle realizes that I'm gone." She sighed again and walked off, barely realizing that Coco was no longer on her shoulder.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"What's wrong Shadow?" Kaede asked as the fox snarled at something up in the trees. The stallion had just finished drinking from the river and Kaede noticed that Shadow was acting a tad bit differently.  
  
He steered the stallion to face the place that Shadow was snarling at. He peered through the leaves and of the big tree and saw nothing. "Don't worry, there's nothing up there Shadow," he assured the fox.  
  
The fox gave the tree a last glance and resumed his place beside his master's stallion.  
  
Without any intention to hunt, the prince and his loyal companion explored deeper into the forest.  
  
At first, Kaede's intention was to look for a solitary pace where he could spend some time with himself and Shadow, but now, he was also interested in looking for the tree where the Sakura blossom of last night came from.  
  
But Kaede's train of thoughts was interrupted when he heard the rustling of leaves.  
  
He looked up, but it was too late. All he saw was a brown fur ball hurtling towards him from the treetops, then he felt himself lose balance.  
  
"No!" screamed a voice, a female voice...perhaps that of an angel. Then a sharp pain hit his head and then nothingness...blackness...  
  
tbc 


	5. Phase 1: The Day They Met

Title:Trials of Time Part: 4/?  
  
Author: Nanako  
  
Genre:Romance, au  
  
Pairing:RuHana, KoshSen, MakiJin, HanaFuji (Hanagata)  
  
Rating:PG  
  
Archive: 1. it's ok for me if you archive this fic to sdfic ML  
  
2. This fic is not posted in any other archive  
  
E-mail:ishpoof@i-manila.com.ph  
  
Warning: the characters are extremely ooc, bad choice of words, cursing  
  
Author's notes: Haruko bashing ^^. I couldn't find anyone else who would do anything to get Kaede's love.gomen. Oh and this chapter is longer than my usual.  
  
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk is Takehito Inoue's and will never be mine (sob)  
  
CHAPTER 5  
  
The redheaded girl had walked a long way, until she finally realized that her pet monkey was already gone from her shoulder.  
  
Afraid that she might attract the attention of larger and more dangerous beasts out here in the forest, the girl decided not to make too much noise when she searched for her dear little Coco.  
  
It was 15 minutes later when she finally saw Coco. She was peering through a bush when she saw the little monkey hurtle itself down upon the unsuspecting stranger they saw earlier.  
  
"No!" the girl exclaimed as she saw the man lose balance and fell from his majestic stallion.  
  
No longer caring that the man was from the Han dynasty, the redhead revealed herself from her hiding place and rushed towards the fallen man.  
  
The stallion was startled by what had happened and the redhead tried to calm it down first before approaching the stranger, afraid that it might trample them in its startled state.  
  
After a few pats, caresses and gentle words, the horse finally calmed down.  
  
The redhead heaved a sigh of relief and went near the fallen stranger. Beside him was a black fox, silent as an innocent little puppy. It was staring directly at the redheaded beauty, as if telling her that it was alright to approach.  
  
At first, the redhead was scared of the unusually black fox. But after looking into the fox's eyes, the redhead fond no sense of malice or ill will within them, so she decided that it was safe to approach the stranger.  
  
She pried her pet off the man's face and said in a scolding tone, "I told you that this man is not one of our people! Now look at what you've done! Judging by his clothes, this man could be a high lord or even a prince! We will be in really deep trouble if he wakes up and finds us here."  
  
She stood up to leave, but a faint whimper stopped her from leaving. She looked back at the black fox and approached it. She knelt down and gently petted it, "You want me to take care of your master right?"  
  
It needn't answer her, because she knew that she couldn't leave the man alone out here while he was wounded. "You know," she told the fox, "this guy' lucky to have you by his side. You're a very loyal companion."  
  
Then, taking on a serious expression, the redhead examined the handy work of her little pet.  
  
Silence...the whole forest seemed to silence itself for the whole duration of the redhead's examination of the fallen man.  
  
Finally, few minutes later, she sighed and once again smiled at the black fox. "Don't worry about your master. He will be alright. He only suffered a minor concussion and some bruises on his arms. He will wake up in probably an hour's time. But I can't leave him here alone now could I?"  
  
The redhead hauled the "very" heavy body of the man and put him over the horse's back. Then, along with Coco and the black fox, she led the horse further into the forest.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Where am I?" Kaede asked. He looked around and saw nothing but blackness all around him.  
  
He was floating, and below him seemed to be a pool of water. But he wasn't sure, because he could barely see anything.  
  
Suddenly, a bright light flashed before him and he had to shield his eyes because of it.  
  
Then he heard a voice, a very familiar voice. He brought his hand down and gasped out loud. The voice he was hearing was from Gen. Toru. And there, before his very eyes, he saw the general looking at him.  
  
"...Remember, that beauty is something which exists deep within a person's heart, never be fooled by external beauty..."  
  
Then the vision disappeared.  
  
"What's going on here?!" Kaede yelled, patience nearly running out.  
  
Then, a single tear formed before him. And as it fell towards the waters below the prince, he heard a voice. It was neither male nor female, it was both and yet it was neither.  
  
"A teardrop in the deep blue waters of the eternal sea...so unfurls the start of a great destiny... a destiny which could go through anything. Thus begins the Trials of Time. 'Tis a life of hatred a suffering, but after all of these, true love will be found nestled in your arms. A curse of love to be said in verse by two lovers brought upon by society's uncaring hearth. Three times in time, three lives again and again. Yet in the 4th they will be together. Neither verse nor curse could break a vow so deep."  
  
Kaede felt his head whirling again and he closed his eyes to steady himself. When he opened them again, however, he found himself staring into the worried brown eyes of a redheaded woman.  
  
He felt his breath catch in his throat, as the girl smiled and checked his pulse.  
  
Then, as she inched away from him, he found his voice and asked, "Did you...save my life?"  
  
She giggled and handed him a mixture of herbs and spices which she instructed him to drink. "Do I look like a person who would hurt you?" she asked as Kaede accepted the medicine she offered.  
  
"Drink that, so that your head will clear up quickly."  
  
"Thank you," Kaede said.  
  
"For what? For saving your life or for the medicine?"  
  
"Both."  
  
She smiled even wider and said, "It's all I could do in order to make up for what Coco did to you back in the forest."  
  
"Coco?"  
  
At that moment, Shadow, with Coco on his head entered the cave they were in.  
  
"You!!" Kaede bellowed as he stood up and pointed an accusing finger at the brown monkey. Frightened, Coco ran towards the redhead.  
  
The redhead frowned at Kaede as she gently carried the frightened monkey into her arms. "Dear sir, my pet Coco is already sorry for what he did to you. He did not mean to injure you so. If you continue to be angered by the presence of my companion, then I suggest you leave immediately."  
  
Surprised at the quick change from sweet and concerned to scolding of the redhead's tone, Kaede sat down again. But, as he sat, the sharp pain at the back of his head came back again. And the redhead immediately noticed he clearly etched pain on the prince's face.  
  
She was immediately by his side, anger completely forgotten and replaced with genuine worry.  
  
"Drink this hurry,' she instructed, indicating the bowl of herbs on Kaede's hand. "Or else you're going to lose consciousness again."  
  
"It..."  
  
"Oh it's not poison," said the girl, growing impatient. She dipped her finger into the bowl and put her finger into the mouth. "See? It's not poisoned. Drink it now!"  
  
Surprised at the sudden urgency in the redhead's tone, and thoroughly convinced that it wasn't poisoned, Kaede drank down the herbal mixture. It tasted bitter but Kaede didn't care.  
  
After drinking, he put the bowl down and the redhead smiled warmly at him. "Feel any better now?"  
  
"I...I..." Kaede was tongue tied. The bitter tasting medicine had cleared his head in an instant. "Yes, I ...thank you."  
  
"Your welcome."  
  
Sensing Kaede's return to health, Shadow rushed back to his master's side. With Shadow back at his side, Kaede was overjoyed. "Shadow!" he exclaimed, hugging the fox and the fox lapping at its master's face to express its joy at seeing him well again.  
  
The redhead cleared her throat to get his attention and Kaede looked at her with a raised brow, as if asking "What now?"  
  
"Forgive me for my rudeness for interrupting your reunion. But could you please tell me who you are?"  
  
"Oh!" Kaede exclaimed. "I forgot, forgive me dear Lady. My name is Kaede, Prince Kaede of the Han dynasty."  
  
"Prince?!" the girl almost choked on her words. She was immediately on her feet and was about to run away, but Kaede reached out to grasp her arm and held her in place.  
  
"Let me go!" she screamed, trying in vain to pull free from the prince's firm grasp.  
  
"But I must know your name," said the prince, softly, tenderly. "Please, just tell me your name."  
  
The girl calmed down and faced him, but a stubborn frown creased her forehead, indicating that she was ready to run away anytime. "You won't kill me?" she asked slowly and carefully.  
  
Kaede had no idea why she would say that. "Why would I?"  
  
"Just answer me!"  
  
"I won't," he finally said. But the look on the redhead's face told him that she didn't believe what he just said. "I won't kill you, I swear upon my honor as a prince. Now please tell me who you are."  
  
The girl took a deep breath and said, "My name is Hanamichi, Princess Hanamichi, niece of the leader of the Siong Nu (Siong Nu - name of one of the northern tribes/barbarians who wanted to invade China during the early dynasties.).  
  
"Now that wasn't so hard, was it Hanamichi?"  
  
Hanamichi just blinked at the prince's reaction to the revelation.  
  
Kaede chuckled at Hanamichi's reaction. He sat down on the floor of the cave and so did Hanamichi s the prince explained, "Our peoples are archenemies but that does not make us enemies, does it?"  
  
Hanamichi's smile returned to her face. "I have enough reason to believe that we will become good friends. But you must leave now. You've been asleep for God knows how long and it's almost sunset. I can already imagine your company becoming sick with worry right at this moment, maj..."  
  
"Kaede," the prince corrected.  
  
"...Kaede then. Bring Coco with you, he knows his way through this forest and will guide you to the place where we stay. Your stallion is already waiting for you outside this cave."  
  
"Thank you," said the prince and with a smooth arm gesture, held up Hanamichi's hand and kissed it gently. He looked up at her with a smile, gently blue eyes meeting warm brown ones, and Hanamichi blushed at the intensity of his gaze. "I look forward to meeting you again Hana..." said the prince as he let go of her hand and left the cave.  
  
He found his stallion outside the cave, just as Hanamichi had said. It was already saddled and ready for riding.  
  
Prince Kaede hoisted himself up onto the stallion, with Coco perched attentively on his shoulder. The prince, no longer angered by the past antics of the rather mischievous monkey, reached up and scratched Coco's chin. "I trust you will be able to lead me back to our camp and to come back tomorrow to lead me to your mistress?" he asked the monkey gently, smiling at it.  
  
The monkey looked at him and chirped in delight.  
  
"I take that as a yes," said Kaede, satisfied.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Where is he?!"  
  
"Calm down Prince Kiminobu," said Lady Kenji worriedly.  
  
Prince Kiminobu heeded no one, and this attitude only made Princess Akira irritated. "Kiminobu," she said in a soft yet scolding tone. "I treat you as a brother younger than I am and not as the crown prince of our dynasty. Therefore it is my responsibility to make sure that you will not become such a restless and impatient soon to be emperor. So will you PLEASE STOP PACING AROUND THE ROOM?!"  
  
Kiminobu stopped in his tracks. This was the first time he had ever heard his ever patient sister raise her voice.  
  
When he stopped, Princess Akira took a deep breath, calmed down and sat back down on her chair. "Do you think you're the only one who's worried about Kaede?"  
  
The sun had just set and everyone in the camp was already worried about the welfare of their "little" prince.  
  
"The young prince usually comes home late even in the capital," said Gen. Shinichi. "I think he is jut up to his usual mischief."  
  
"Kaede does not have any mischief general," said the princess tiredly.  
  
"And that was in the capital," said Kiminobu. "This is a forest, for goodness sake general! Hisashi and Ryota still aren't back but Gen. Toru is with them! At least I can be sure that they are safe."  
  
"I am sure that Prince Kaede can take care of himself," assured Lady Souichirou.  
  
"But still...!"  
  
"Kaede is no longer a boy Kiminobu," said Akira, rubbing her temples, her brows furrowed. Obviously, the younger prince's disappearance was also putting pressure on her. She looked at her brother and said, "Kaede will not allow himself to get lost or hurt Kiminobu. I know him, and I know how high his pride can get. And being lost or hurt is something his pride will never allow."  
  
"But Akira...!"  
  
"Enough is enough Kiminobu," she said softly. "You know Kaede more than anyone. And that is more than enough reason for you to know that he will be okay, whatever the circumstance. Trust me on this brother."  
  
Kiminobu was about to counter her again, but the look in Akira's eyes stopped him. Never had he seen her look so worried in all his life. Worry, perhaps even greater than his, for their youngest brother.  
  
Kiminobu approached his sister and sat down beside her. "Tuay bu tzi ta tzie (I'm so sorry sis). I had no intention to anger you so." He held her hand and smiled at her, "Yes, I understand what you mean. I'll trust Kaede to come back to us."  
  
Akira looked at her brother and returned his smile. "Thanks Kiminobu." She turned to Lady Kenji and asked, "Changing the subject, Lady Kenji how is the lieutenant?"  
  
"Hiroaki?" Lady Kenji asked, surprised at the sudden change of subject. "He is resting in his tent princess. He fainted a while back because of fatigue, there is nothing to be worried about."  
  
"I'm glad. Is it alright to go see him?"  
  
"Yes, I guess it won't do him any harm."  
  
The princess stood up and addressed the gathering, "Please excuse me, I must go see the lieutenant now." She then curtsied and left the gathering.  
  
"Well," said Lady Souichirou as soon as the princess left. "It seems as though the princess has finally allowed herself to be caught."  
  
Kiminobu was about to say something but was stopped by the sound of an approaching horse.  
  
Gen. Shinichi was on the alert immediately. He unsheathed his sword and stood before everyone. A tense silence followed.  
  
But as the newcomer's face came into view, they recognized him immediately.  
  
"Kaede!" Kiminobu exclaimed, as he wrapped his arms around his younger brother as the latter stepped off the saddle. "We were so worried about you!" The crown prince let him go and examined him from head to toe. "Kaede what happened to you?" he asked as he noticed the rumpled and dirtied clothes of Kaede.  
  
"I fell off the horse but I'm fine now Kiminobu," Kaede assured his brother. He smiled at the worried prince and asked, "Why were you so worried brother? It's not the first time that I came back late."  
  
"Still," argued Kiminobu. "This is a forest, not the imperial capital. How could you be sure that you won't get hurt?! Take this for example..."  
  
"Kiminobu," said Kaede as he held his brother by the shoulders and shook him. "Shadow is by my side and I fell off the horse because of my own carelessness. It has nothing to do with me traveling on my own."  
  
"I know," Kiminobu said softly. He looked up at Kaede with warm brown eyes and said with a chuckle, "I always seem to forget that you are no longer my baby brother."  
  
"I will always be your baby brother, Kiminobu."  
  
"But you've already grown up so much, you're even taller than I am now. Oh well, go on, you need your rest. I don't doubt you would prefer to leave alone again tomorrow?"  
  
"You know me too well Kiminobu, sometimes too well for comfort. Well, goodnight, I'm going back to my tent now." Kaede smiled and left, after giving a courteous bow to Gen. Shinichi, Lady Kenji and Lady Souichirou.  
  
As soon as he was out of his companions' sight, Kaede pulled Coco out of his pocket. "Sorry for that," he apologized to the very irritated monkey. "How could I explain to them that I found you in the forest?" He scratched the monkey's chin and soon it calmed down.  
  
Kaede entered his tent and said to Coco, "Remember this is my tent. Come back here for me tomorrow before the sun rises in the east."  
  
The monkey then left the tent to go back to his redheaded mistress.  
  
Kaede rested his tired body on the soft cushions of his bed. "Hanamichi..." he whispered before drifting off into sleep to dream of no one else but the redhead whom he had just met a few hours ago.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Princess Akira strode through the camp in long quick strides until she finally reached Lt. Hiroaki's tent.  
  
Taking a deep breath, the princess entered the tent.  
  
Inside the tent, Akira found the lieutenant in bed, resting. She sat down on a stool beside the bed and gently whispered, "Ni shi ke ta sha kua ya (You are so stupid). Why did you neglect yourself?"  
  
Lt. Hiroaki slowly opened his eyes and tried to sit up. But the princess stopped him and said, "Don't try to stand up yet lieutenant."  
  
He resumed his position, and smiled at the princess, "What brings you here Princess?"  
  
"I came to visit you."  
  
"Why? I am but a lieutenant in your father's army."  
  
"Yet, you hold a special place here in my heart," the princes replied without hesitation. And heedless to the surprised stare the lieutenant gave her, she continued, "I'm sorry if I made you wait for such a long time Hiroaki. It's just that I ...I..."  
  
Tears ad started to form in the princess' eyes, "I made you wait for so long..."  
  
Hiroaki reached out to wipe her tears, "Don't cry now princess..."  
  
"Akira," she corrected him.  
  
"Akira then," the lieutenant said. "It was worth the wait Akira, I love you so much."  
  
tbc 


End file.
